this is a year after winning south africa's first multi racial election he helped welcome the 19959 rugby world cup to south africa. then would he won it. it couldn't have been a better story. his soccer legacy though came years later when south africa was awarded the honor of saging the 2010 world cup finals. the ailing former leader was there at the end of it all. it he didn't attend the early part. let's bring in cnn sports. i was honored. i got to go there, cover it. it was awesome. it was such a thrill for a football fan. talk about mandela's role in getting the world cup to south africa and what it meant. >> for nelson mandela, sport was everything and allowed for harmony he brought across everybody. it allowed for hope to be generated through sport where there might not have been hope ever before and he was very instrumental in being there in 2004 when fifa awarded south africa the ability to host the world cup and then you're looking at him here in 2010 and that was a major moment. the crowd gave him a standing ovation and everybody in the stadium could actually -- it was describe